Of Jasmine Blossoms
by Tailight
Summary: AU Setting High School. It all started when Tidus moved to Besaid and started to attend the local school...there, he finds adventure and love that he had never expected. TxY, WxL, GxR Chapter 1 up! Please RR
1. Chapter 1: Genesis

Of Jasmine Blossoms  
  
By Tailight  
  
Disclaimer: I do NOT own Final Fantasy X nor its characters. I own some minor characters in the story, but I don't own any of the characters from Final Fantasy X.  
  
This is an AU story, where all the characters appear in High School. Yes, some people may think that high school setting is stupid, but I do not own the game and I've never played it before so I basically know nothing about the game. Hence, writing the high school plot will be easier for me. And even if you think that this setting is stupid, just take a peek in it. Just because a setting is stupid doesn't mean that the quality of the story is stupid. Thanks!  
  
Also --  
  
"_____" means that a character is speaking  
  
'_____' means that a character is thinking  
  
Characters:  
  
P.S. All the students are set at an age of 19. Yes, Lulu and Wakka are older, as well as some other characters, but it's going to be hard writing the story where some characters are seniors, sophomores, juniors, etc. so they're all seniors! Yay! And even though it's too early to say anything, I'm planning a sequel to this story so even if the title might sound weird, it'll make sense as the story progresses.  
  
Tidus: The new student at Besaid High. Great at playing Blitzball, and greatly loves his hometown Zanarkand. Lives with his father Jecht and his father's best friend Auron. Has a rocky relationship with Jecht.  
  
Yuna: Second year at Besaid High. President of the Student Council, and takes her role very seriously. Training to be a summoner to follow her father Braska's footsteps, she is known throughout the school to be the top summoner. Cousin of Rikku. Has a close relationship with Rikku, Wakka, Lulu, Auron, and Kimahri. Half Al Bhed.  
  
Rikku: Besaid High student. Always happy, cheerful, and carefree. Maintains a close relationship with her cousin Yuna. Younger sister of Aniki, and daughter of Cid. A pure Al Bhed, she takes pride over her people.  
  
Wakka: Captain of the Besaid High Blitzball team, the Besaid Aurochs. Not a good academic student, but nevertheless kind. Has a dislike towards Al Bheds. One of Yuna's guardians.  
  
Lulu: top academic student, often portrayed as very gothic and silent. Cold towards strangers, but very kind towards familiar people. An older sister figure to Yuna, and is one of her guardians. Best friend of Chappu.  
  
Chappu: Wakka's younger brother who died a few years ago. Died at the hands of an Al Bhed. Lulu's best friend.  
  
Paine: A new student to Besaid High, she is quiet and serious. Has a shady past which she rarely talks about, but a great friend towards Yuna. The treasurer of the student council. Finds comfort in talking with Baralai.  
  
Gippal: A new student to Besaid High. Being good-natured and good-looking, many want to get to know him. Being an Al Bhed, he takes pride in it and organized a group which has a few Al Bhed members. Vice President of the Student Council.  
  
Baralai: A new student to Besaid High. Very secretive and quiet, he seems like almost an invisible person. Secretary of the student council. Good friends with Paine.  
  
Aniki: Who could forget our favorite brother? Aniki is Rikku's older brother, and extremely protective of Rikku and Yuna. Being a great mechanic, he earns a little cash from fixing people's machinery. A proud Al Bhed.  
  
Seymour: the richest student in Besaid High. Academically intelligent, and the leader of the popular group. Boyfriend of Yuna.  
  
Minor Characters:  
  
Dona: a summoner, although not as good as Yuna. Haters Yuna for that reason.  
  
Barthello: Dona's slave boyfriend.  
  
Besaid Aurochs: very poor team but has good efforts.  
  
Le Blanc: French exchange student. Quite snobby, she considers herself superior towards the other students and is very classy. Has a certain liking for Tidus.  
  
Uno, Sono: Le Blanc's close friends.  
  
Adults:  
  
Jecht: Tidus' father. Divorced his wife, but came back to Tidus after she died. The new coach of the Besaid Aurochs. Does not have an average father- to-son relationship with Tidus. Best friends with Auron and Braska.  
  
Auron: Jecht's best friend. The Calculus and Physics teacher in Besaid High. Knows Yuna very well, and is like a father figure to her.  
  
Braska: Yuna's father. He died when she was seven. Passed away due to the final summoning he performed on Sin and brought Calm.  
  
Kimahri: vice principal of Besaid High. A father figure to Yuna.  
  
Nooj: English and Social Studies teacher. Very strict, however kind. Lost his arm and leg in a war with Sin.  
  
Of Jasmine Blossoms  
  
Chapter 1  
  
Tidus groaned slightly as he heard his alarm clock ring. Opening one of his sleeping eyes, he saw that it was 8:00 A.M. He groaned again, pulling the covers over his head. He then he heard a familiar voice yelling up to him.  
  
"Dammit kid! Yer gonna be late! Get yer lazy butt in the kitchen NOW!"  
  
He sighed, hearing his father call him. It had been only two weeks since Tidus and his father, Jecht moved to Besaid. It's not like Tidus ever wanted to move to Besaid anyway. Zanarkand had been his hometown all his life, and he really loved Zanarkand. Sure, Besaid was beautiful, but it somehow lacked the warmth of Zanarkand in his mind. Being the star player of the Zanarkand Abes, it really made him feel defenseless when he said goodbye to his buddies on the team.  
  
Getting out of bed groggily, he quickly changed into a t-shirt and pants. Putting on his trademark black and yellow sneakers, he rushed off to the bathroom, brushing his teeth at a record speed: 15 seconds. Heading downstairs to the kitchen, he found Jecht and Auron waiting for him impatiently.  
  
"What kept you boy? Are ya that vain?" Jecht asked, munching on a piece of toast while banging his leg against the table leg. Tidus shrugged, heading over to the refrigerator.  
  
"Tidus, if you want to get good grades, you have to be ready in morning," gruffed Auron, whose voice was low and emotionless, as usual. Tidus shook his head as he poured himself a cup of orange juice. It wasn't like Auron was his father or anything. He was just Jecht's best friend.  
  
"Sure, old man. Sure." Tidus said, sitting down at the table. Taking a glance at the clock, he sighed in relief as he saw that it was only 8:15. School would start at 8:30, which meant he had a few minutes to spare before going to school. Not that he wanted to anyway.  
  
"Dammit boy. Why can't you be more like the pretty girl at the pharmacy?" Jecht asked, glaring slightly at Tidus. Tidus snorted, pretending to concentrate deeply into his orange juice.  
  
"What girl?" Auron asked, a small smile creeping across his usual stoic face.  
  
"A girl I met at the pharmacy a few days ago. Pretty little thing, really. Probably still in school, I'll bet."  
  
*~*~  
  
Jecht walked into a pharmacy, the pungent hospital smell filling his nostrils. To his dismay as he took a look at the pain reliever, he found out there were thousands and thousands of tiny bottles to flat sheets.  
  
'Darn it...how the hell am I supposed to find the pain reliever?'  
  
Taking a small jar in his hands, he examined it closely. Jecht took another bottle, and to his dismay again, it said that same things as the first jar.  
  
"What the hell?" Jecht accidently cursed out loud, putting both containers back onto the shelf.  
  
Too busy fuming, Jecht didn't notice a woman coming towards him. In her white coat, she looked like a doctor. Her mismatched eyes, emerald green in the right, sapphire blue in the left, where what mesmerized Jecht the most.  
  
"Hello sir...would you like some help choosing out pain relievers?" she asked, her voice like the sound of larks. Jecht nodded slowly, continuing to be charmed by her beautiful features. Unlike the rest of the pharmacy, she smelled like jasmine.  
  
"Uh...y-yeah, I-I need pain relievers for a-arthritis for my Blitzball team." Jecht stuttered. Blushing slightly in embarrassment, he followed the woman as she led him to another corner.  
  
The woman was not exactly a woman, but not exactly a girl. She looked like she was in high school, judging by her smooth facial features. Her chestnut brown hair was pretty. Even though he never felt it, Jecht could assume easily that it was as soft as a feathery pillow.  
  
"Sir...? Sir?" Jecht quickly snapped out of his daydream as he heard her sweet voice calling out to him.  
  
"Uh yeah, sorry," he apologized quickly, taking interest in the bottle of pills she was holding.  
  
"This is a pain reliever for arthritis pain, sir. Unlike other leading brands, it doesn't contain anything that will bust up an athlete's muscle, so it'll be safe to use before matches."  
  
"I-I'll take that. Thank y-you." He stuttered, taking the bottle from her hand.  
  
*~*~  
  
"Sounds like Jecht found a new love interest." Auron said, carefully chewing on his piece of toast.  
  
Tidus laughed, gulping down the rest of his orange juice. "And who's the vain one now, Dad?"  
  
"Shut up boy. Anyway, I think she's still in high school so yer task for today is to find out who she is." Jecht gruffed, standing up from his seat.  
  
"No way Dad. Go look at her nametag or something," Tidus refused, taking his backpack in one hand. Running out the house, Jecht's voice echoed loudly throughout the street.  
  
"Remember boy, she had mismatched eyes and was sure pretty!" yelled Jecht, watching his son run towards school.  
  
"You feel bad about him, don't you?" Auron said quietly, taking a sip of his coffee. Jecht shook his head violently as he once again entered the kitchen.  
  
"Auron," Jecht said, "Why'd I feel bad about something that wasn't my fault? I could care less 'bout what happened, not my fault that idiot hates me."  
  
"Alright, alright. No need to get so heated up," shrugged Auron, sighing slightly as he stood up from his seat.  
  
"Just remember that he's hurt inside, Jecht. No matter how hard he tries to hide the fact about that, he's pained inside." Auron said before heading out the door. Jecht snorted, pouring himself a cup of beer.  
  
'It wasn't my fault anyway. Why should I be sorry?'  
  
*~*~  
  
When Tidus reached Besaid High, his feelings split in half: Excited to see a school bigger than the Academy of Zanarkand, and nervous whether he'd make new friends now. When walking across the school grounds, he was even more amazed to see a huge dome right next to the school.  
  
'They've got a huge Blitzball Sphere!' Tidus thought happily as he walked into the high school. He sighed of relief as he heard the students chattering loudly. It sounded just like good 'ol Zanarkand Academy.  
  
Walking to the office, he again felt nervous when he faced an old lady with gnarled fingers. Her face had a few warts, and it was permanently figured in a frown. As she faced Tidus, she looked heavily annoyed as she had to go through the piles of paperwork.  
  
"Mr. Tidus...new student from Zanarkand, eh?" The lady said grumpily, shuffling through many piles of paper. Tidus nodded nervously, putting both hands in his pockets. Taking a short glance at the nametag on her desk, Tidus found out that her name was Mrs. Joy. It was the last name he'd pick out for her.  
  
It seemed like a few hours later when Mrs. Joy handed him his schedule. He took a long look at it, and to his dismay, it was full of weird ones. Mrs. Joy also handed him a paper slip and a key.  
  
"For you locker. Now run off, shoo!" Mrs. Joy said loudly, swatting Tidus away. He quickly ran out of the office, recalling how weird she was.  
  
"She sure was weird," he mused before setting out to find his locker. To his dismay, Besaid High was huge, and he quickly realized that the B section was far, far away from where he was standing.  
  
Walking through the corridors was harder than he expected; it was full of students, and every time a certain person came walking through it, all the others would make a path for them, as if that person was from royalty. Such exception was made when a boy with azure hair walked through the hall. Girls made a squealing sound, while the boys murmured the name "Seymour". Tidus assumed that Seymour was the boy's name. Following Seymour was a large gang made up of mostly boys, all having extremely good looks.  
  
'So that must be the "cool" group' Tidus thought to himself as he shuffled across the corridor.  
  
After a few minutes, he finally reached the B section where his locker was. Like all the other lockers in Besaid High, it was a plain silver locker that said "B69" on the front. As he opened it, he found that it was also plain inside. Not that he expected a grand locker.  
  
Tidus quickly stuffed in his backpack and got out all the necessary supplies he need until Lunch. Just about when he was about to close his locker, a hand slammed closed the locker. Tidus quickly glared at the person who had done that, but raised his eyebrow when he saw whom.  
  
"So...you're a new kid to Besaid High, aren't you?" The boy's voice wasn't exactly friendly, and Tidus didn't know what to do. The boy's azure hair was sticking out all over the place, and it looked actually quite cool. His eyes were glaring, and Tidus felt as if they were boring through his body.  
  
"Yeah...I am," Tidus said quietly, locking his locker. He had hoped he had sounded confident, for he felt all nervous inside and his hands and feet felt like jello.  
  
"Well then...welcome to Besaid High. I'm Seymour, and I hope you'll have a great senior year at Besaid," Seymour said. "Just remember to keep your hands off my girl, and we'll be on good terms, newbie."  
  
Tidus shook his head and turned around, walking towards his first class. "I don't know who your girl is, anyway."  
  
Seymour snarled, a group of guys forming around him. "Just remember, don't keep your filthy hands off my girl, and you'll pay dearly...A price you won't want to pay..."  
  
*~*~  
  
Tidus quickly sped off, running through the corridors hastily. He tried ignoring what Seymour and his lackeys had said to him, although his words swirled in his mind.  
  
'Who's his girl anyway? Is there anyone who would actually go out with that obnoxious guy?' he wondered, continuing to run. Checking his watch, he found that it was 8:40. Getting his slightly crumpled schedule out of his pocket, it said that his science class started at 8:43.  
  
'Shoot, I only have three minutes late! And I don't even know where Room 118 is!' his mind shouted. Tidus panicked, running faster through the corridors. Not many students occupied the hallways, and a rush of adrenaline coming.  
  
"Damn! I'm going to be late!" Tidus exclaimed to himself as he continued running, in search of Room 118.  
  
*~*~  
  
"Yunie! Yunie? YUNIEEEEEEE!!!!!!!" a blond haired girl shouted loudly, banging on the door fiercely. Getting tired of banging on the door with no avail, the girl kicked open the door and charged right into a bed where a figure laid still.  
  
"YUNIE! We're going to be late for school!" she said loudly, shaking the figure. Unfortunately for her, the figure only grumbled slightly.  
  
"Five more minutes, Rikku...please?" the girl mumbled, pulling the covers over her head again. Rikku shook her head violently, pulling the covers away from the girl. When she took the covers off, they revealed a girl with messy chestnut hair curled up in a fetal position.  
  
"Where's the Al Bhed power, Yunie?" Rikku asked loudly, getting off the bed and proceeding to do two flips and a somersault.  
  
"Rikku...I'm only half Al Bhed..." Yuna muttered, getting up from her fetal position. The sun's rays gleamed through her curtains, and Yuna knew that it was a beautiful day outside. But somehow, she didn't feel beautiful inside. Her hair was a mess, there was only a few minutes til school started, and today was the first day of school in three months. She was never a morning person anyway.  
  
"WHO CARES? YOU STILL HAVE AL BHED BLOOD RUNNING THROUGH YOUR VEINS!" Rikku shouted happily, bouncing around Yuna. Yuna shook her head slightly and smiled at her cousin. Rikku was definitely a morning person, or to be exact, a morning, afternoon, and night person. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, Rikku was hyper.  
  
"I'm going downstairs to eat some breakfast, okay? Daddy's going to drive Aniki, you, and me to school today so get ready!" Rikku said cheerfully and closed the door. Yuna could still hear her footsteps as she ran down the stairs.  
  
"I guess this is going to be a very exciting year..." Yuna whispered to herself as she went to her closet to choose her outfit. In a matter of seconds, Yuna quickly decided on a spring green t-shirt and a pair of khaki pants with a white cardigan. Sure, it was boring, but she was never the type to expose her body, unlike her cousin Rikku, who was wearing a yellow tank top and a pair of orange shorts.  
  
Reaching where she kept most of her cosmetics, Yuna reached for her perfume and sprayed it onto her body. She'd never exactly been a vain one, but she would always spray that perfume on herself, whether it be a party or a regular day. It was a perfume made of pure jasmine extract, thus spreading a lovely jasmine aroma. Yuna's earliest memories of her mother were that she was always wearing this perfume. Of her vague memories of her, Yuna would always remember that she smelled like jasmine. And ever since she was little, she loved the aroma of jasmine. It would not only remind her of her mother, but it somehow made her feel that her mother and herself were slightly connected by that scent.  
  
Brushing her chestnut brown hair until it was as soft as silk, Yuna grabbed her backpack and took a glance at the mirror. Her two eyes seemed to be staring back at her. Her two eyes were unique; the right one was green, while the left one was blue. The doctor described her condition as Heterochromia, a rare condition where a person has two different iris colors. However, her Uncle Cid said that that was rubbish; she had two different eye colors because she was half Al Bhed. Al Bheds are known widely across Spira for having bright green eyes with swirls in them. Uncle Cid himself has them, as well as Rikku and her older brother Aniki. Yuna herself has an emerald green eye, with the absence of the swirls.  
  
Yuna's eyes were special to her, because they are a symbol of her being half Al Bhed, as well as being a regular person. They are also one of the few inheritances she received from her parents. Although she was made fun at school for having heterochromia, it didn't bother Yuna. However, she usually wore dark glasses to cover them, although she took them off from time to time. There was nothing wrong with her eyes, except she needed glasses to read and to write. Not that she needed them, but Uncle Cid insisted on buying her glasses so that she'd be able to preserve her eyes.  
  
Before Yuna realized it, Rikku yelled that they were going to head out of the house in ten minutes.  
  
"I'm coming!" Yuna shouted, running down the stairs. Gathered in the kitchen were Uncle Cid, Aniki, and Rikku, all munching on Cid's "Super Healthy Lettuce Omelette."  
  
"Hey Yuna! Eat up, it's my special lettuce omelette!" Cid said heartily, putting an exotic looking omelette on the table. Yuna raised an eyebrow slightly, looking at the omelette, but she noticed that the three Al Bheds were enjoying the meal, so she decided to take a taste out of the slightly scrambled eggs and lettuce. It wasn't exactly horrible, but it had a slightly peculiar feeling inside her mouth. To name one, the lettuce wasn't crisp, but instead, quite limp. However, it didn't taste that bad so she took a few more bites out of it.  
  
"Look at you, Yuna. Braska would be proud to see you like this," Cid said with his English with a strong Al Bhed accent. Yuna was surprised to hear Cid say that, for her father Braska and Cid were never on good terms.  
  
Braska was Yuna's late father, who passed away 10 years ago to a final summoning he performed to maintain the Calm. Yuna, now training to become a summoner like him, would now have to perform the summoning this year, as the 10 year limit was slowly being put to a close.  
  
Yuna's mother, a pure Al Bhed was Cid's little sister. She passed away 14 years ago, due to an unfortunate ship accident that killed many. Sure, Yuna didn't have blonde hair and green eyes with swirls, but to Cid, she was the only living existence of his little sister.  
  
"Thank you, Uncle Cid..." Yuna said quietly, looking down at her half- finished omelette. Cid smiled, looking at Yuna. She resembled his sister in so many ways, he sometimes thought that it was actually her he was seeing.  
  
"Yuna, if you have any trouble at school, don't hesitate to ask for help, ugyo?" Aniki said in English, his thick Al Bhed accent mixing in with it. He smiled warmly, patting Yuna on the back. Rikku grinned, also patting Yuna on the back.  
  
"Don't worry Yuna! If any of those sayheac bother you, I'll bash them up! I've had a lot of practice at home, you know!" Rikku grinned mischievously, standing up and making fists with her hands. Yuna laughed, a crystalline laughter filling the room.  
  
"Anyway, Yuna, Besaid High is a Yevon based school. You might receive some bullying, and if you do, we will not hesitate to kick some of their butts. Remember, you have guardians and people who will protect you with their lives. You were very brave, putting your Yevon beliefs aside and living with us in an Al Bhed house, Yuna. And if you receive any kind of harassment, we Al Bheds will fight for you. Yevon beliefs are rubbish, and as much as I hate it, I would hate even more to see my children get hurt by it. So just bear in mind that we will always protect you, " Cid said, putting a hand around Rikku. "And that goes for you, Rikku and Aniki. I know you can easily kick those Yevon butts, but don't get yourself in danger, ihtancduut?"  
  
"OAC!" they said loudly in unison, grabbing their bags.  
  
"Come on Daddy! We're going to be late again!" Rikku shouted, kicking open the door.  
  
"RIKKU! I told you a hundred times to stop kicking the door. Look at it now! Dra buun tuun!" Cid cried, patting the door slightly as he locked it. Running to their green van, Aniki, Rikku, and Yuna quickly got in as Cid drove like a madman.  
  
"Fa'na kuehk du pa myda ykyeh, zicd mega mycd oayn!" Cid said loudly as he curved around the block.  
  
"Tuh'd funno, fa'na drnaa sehidac yrayt uv mycd oayn!" Rikku chanted, putting her head on her father's shoulder.  
  
"Rikku! Cdub dryd, ed'c tyhkanuic!" Aniki yelled, pulling Rikku away from the driver's seat. Yuna laughed, watching Rikku pout slightly. She didn't have much clue onto what they were saying, for she was not fluent in Al Bhed, but by looking at their face expressions and wild gestures, Yuna could understand what they were trying to say.  
  
The green van bounced up and down, due to Cid's wild driving. Aniki kept on correcting Cid how to drive, while Rikku giggled happily each time the green van made a violent move. After five minutes later, the van finally reached the high school.  
  
"Good luck this year! Rikc yht geccac du ymm drnaa uv oui!" Cid shouted before driving away. Yuna and Rikku waved to him, but Aniki rushed them onto getting into the school.  
  
"We need to get our schedules and our lockers! Hurry! Rinno!"  
  
"Fine fine, geez you're a nosy brother!" Rikku retorted, running into the school. As Rikku sped into the school, Aniki and Yuna had a hard time keeping up with her.  
  
*~*~  
  
"Aniki, here's your schedule. Yuna, here's yours. And here you go, Rikku. Don't beat up the kids like you did last year, or I won't be happy," Mrs. Joy grumbled as she handed their schedules to them. Rikku stuck her tongue out, giggling slightly. She was known throughout the school for beating up three boys that had tried to seduce Yuna last year. Unfortunately, Mrs. Joy was chosen to drive Rikku home for her ten day suspension, and ever since that, their relationship was ever so rocky.  
  
"Ooh, what do you have first period, Yunie?" Rikku asked excitedly, hopping around Yuna.  
  
"I have...science. What about you?"  
  
"I HAVE SCIENCE TOO!!!!!!" Rikku squealed, grabbing Yuna's arm. "Come on, let's go to our lockers! SEE YA LATER ANIKI! POA!" Rikku yelled, running across the hallways half-dragging Yuna with her.  
  
"Bye Rikku, bye Yuna! Have a great...day..." Aniki said, his voice getting smaller as he saw his sister and cousin's figure getting smaller and smaller by second.  
  
'Rikku, she's so fast!' Aniki said to himself, shaking his head and smiling at the same time.  
  
*~*~  
  
"Ooh, our lockers are close too!" Rikku exclaimed happily. Her locker, B60 was located quite near Yuna's, which was B68.  
  
"I know, I'm so happy about that! Last year was horrible, having Seymour's locker next to mine..." Yuna giggled, gathering her supplies.  
  
Rikku nodded, closing her locker quickly. "Come on, Yunie! We're going to be laaaaaaate!" Rikku sang cheerfully, tugging on Yuna's arm. Yuna nodded and hastily closed her locker, running towards her science class.  
  
"It's room 118, right?"  
  
"Yep yep yep...and..." Rikku paused, checking her watch, "we only have three minutes until we're late!" she announced cheerfully. Yuna yelped, now tugging Rikku as they sped up in the halls.  
  
Tailight: This story will center around Tidus and Yuna more than the other characters, but they will get into the limelight once in a while. Anyway, Seymour's a jerk in this chapter, but he'll turn out sort-of-nice in the end. I hope. And this story will be somewhere around 15 to 20 chapters, I do-not-know-yet. But I hope you enjoy this chapter, and the second chapter will be posted ASAP! Thanks! Anyway, how'd you like it? Please R+R, and thanks again!  
  
[~Tailight~]  
  
Al Bhed Translations:  
  
Ugyo?: okay?  
  
Sayheac: meanies  
  
Ihtancduut?: understood?  
  
Dra buun tuun!: The poor door!  
  
Fa'na kuehk du pa myda ykyeh, zicd mega mycd oayn!: We're going to be late again, just like last year!  
  
Tuh'd funno, fa'na drnaa sehidac yrayt uv mycd oayn!: Don't worry, we're three minutes ahead of last year!  
  
Cdub dryd, ed'c tyhkanuic!: Stop that, it's dangerous!  
  
Rikc yht geccac du ymm drnaa uv oui!: Hugs and kisses to all three of you!  
  
Rinno!: Hurry! 


	2. Chapter 2: Locked in a Closet

Of Jasmine Blossoms  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Tidus walked around the halls, completely lost. He took a turn to the right, then to the left, then again to the right, and found himself standing in front of a broken vending machine. Looking at the complicated map handed to him with his schedule, Tidus scratched his head, desperately trying to decipher it.  
  
"So...I take a left here and that leads me to Room 110?" Tidus mumbled to himself, taking a right turn from the vending machine. Again, he found himself completely lost.  
  
He sprinted across the hall, trying to find Room 118. He took a glance at the room number of the room closest to him, and to his dismay, it was Room 138. Confused, he took a left turn, and found that room which was Room 129.  
  
'What the...' Tidus' mind panicked as he took a right turn from Room 129. Looking both right and left, his instinct told him to make a left turn.  
  
'I'm depending on you, instinct!' Tidus told himself as he took a left turn. Miraculously, the room closest to him was Room 110.  
  
'Wow, my instinct does work sometimes!' Tidus marveled, running straight down the corridor. However, as he ran down the hall, he found the room numbers getting smaller and smaller. But Room 110 was at the end of the corridor. It was utterly confusing.  
  
"Damn it," he quickly cursed under his breath, stuffing the map inside his pockets. Taking a quick glimpse at his watch, he found that it was 8:42 already. He sighed at the thought of getting yelled by Auron for arriving hours late.  
  
'Well...I guess I'm used to the old man yelling at me. Won't be too much trouble, I reckon,' Tidus thought to himself as he turned left and walked across the halls, not paying attention to the room numbers written upon the doors of each room.  
  
*~*~  
  
Room 118 was further away than Yuna and Rikku expected. Even if Yuna was tugging Rikku off her butt, the long corridors seemed longer with each step they took. Occasionally, the teachers would give them strange looks as the two girls ran through the halls.  
  
"Yunie...it's so far away!! Can't we just be late this once? This isn't fair! It's all Aniki's fault!" whined Rikku, who was trying her best not to drop her binder with Yuna tugging on her arm.  
  
Yuna sighed, continuing to tug on Rikku's arm. She had taken a glance at her schedule in the office, and to her dismay, it was science with Sir Auron. She had had him for a teacher last year, and his strict teachings still clouded over her mind from time to time.  
  
"Yunie! We are going to get soooo busted!" Rikku whined yet again, now her voice panicking slightly. Yuna nodded, trying to walk as fast as she could. Big yellow posters that said, "DO NOT RUN IN THE HALLS" shone brightly on both Rikku and Yuna's faces.  
  
"Damn those stupid posters! Damn them all!" Rikku swore, trying her best to poke her middle finger out to curse the posters. However, Yuna covered her cousin's fists with her delicate hand, in case any of the teachers saw what Rikku was trying to do.  
  
"Rikku, curse quietly! You'll be suspended if any of the teachers see you!" Yuna shushed Rikku, whose face was brimming with anger and frustration.  
  
"I DON'T CARE! Fru dra ramm lynac yhofyo?" yelled Rikku, glaring at the bright yellow posters. Yuna shook her head as she continued to tug Rikku towards the hall. It was getting hard, for tugging Rikku took more energy than Yuna had, and it was hard because Rikku was yelling Al Bhed insults every five seconds or so.  
  
'I'm going to get in so much trouble!' Yuna's mind frantically cried out. She was starting to panic, with Rikku whining and the hall's clock ticking with each second.  
  
Tick.  
  
Tock.  
  
Tick.  
  
Tock.  
  
"YUNIE! WE ONLY HAVE THIRTY SECONDS!" Rikku shouted, looking at the clock with a frustrated look on her face.  
  
Yuna nodded, looking around for any teachers. When she found out that there was no sign of anyone except for herself and Rikku, she raised her pace by running in the hall. As she ran, a glimpse of a young man caught her eye. With her prescription glasses, she could clearly see the young man's lost look upon his face. He looked utterly lost, and Yuna felt great sympathy for him, as she was the one wearing that face a year ago.  
  
Yuna stopped suddenly, and let go of Rikku's wrist, which was now slightly red because she had tugged on it so much. Looking straight at Rikku's confused eyes, Yuna put on her best smile as she pushed her cousin forward.  
  
"You go to your science class Rikku. At least that way, only one of us would get in trouble," Yuna said, continuing to smile. Rikku shook her head violently, grabbing onto Yuna's wrist.  
  
"NO! I'm not going to go free while you have to get in trouble!" Rikku said loudly, determination filling her voice. Her green eyes looked pleadingly at Yuna's mismatched ones. But Yuna continued to smile, gently prying Rikku's fingers off her wrist.  
  
"I'm fine, Rikku. Just get to class. I'll come right after you."  
  
"But---" Rikku began, hesitating to take another step.  
  
"No buts. Go to class." Yuna said firmly, pushing her cousin's shoulders forward gently. Seeing her cousin sprint towards Room 118, Yuna started to run over to the boy that had caught her eye.  
  
"Excuse me! Excuse me!" Yuna called out, making the boy turn his head. As he saw her, he was instantly mesmerized by Yuna's beauty. It took a little over five seconds before he snapped out of his daydream.  
  
Her chestnut brown hair, pale pink lips, and her long, slender arm and legs intrigued him. An aroma of jasmine was emitted from her, and it smelled heavenly, nothing like the strong, pungent perfume the other girls were using at this school. Because of her dark glasses, he couldn't tell what color eyes she had, but he imagined that it was as pretty as she was. Just like Jecht had described, he could instantly tell that her hair was as soft as a feathery pillow...maybe even softer.  
  
Come to think of it, she did look like the girl Jecht had described earlier.  
  
'Is she...the girl?' Tidus wondered, taking a long look at her.  
  
"Excuse me? Are you...?" Yuna asked, concern filling her voice as she looked up at Tidus. Being a few centimeters taller than her, Yuna had to look up whenever she talked to him.  
  
"Uhh...sorry, what were you saying?" Tidus asked, genuinely confused, basically because he wasn't listening to her. He smiled widely and chuckled, because of his stupidity and the expression of Yuna's face.  
  
"Are you lost?"  
  
Yuna's voice was just like larks...high-pitched, but not too high, and blissfully sweet. It was gentle and full of care, and it showed so much emotion in it. Tidus wagered in his mind that he could probably tell what she was thinking by just listening to her voice.  
  
"Uhh...yeah! Where can I find Room 118? Science with...Auron." Tidus asked, trying to look through the dark glasses she was wearing. However, the lenses were so dark that he could only see her eyes, and not the color.  
  
"You have science? I do too!" Yuna said quite excitedly. She was almost captivated by him. Not because he was terribly good-looking, because he was, but how he smiled ever so brightly. It was like the sun...the light of the sky...His cerulean eyes also amazed her, because it was so blue like the waters of Besaid. They seemed so kind, and so full of brightness. His voice was bright as well, reminding her of Rikku. His hair looked so fluffy, she wanted to reach up and touch it. His bronze skin, tanned naturally, went so well with his blonde hair and cerulean eyes.  
  
*~*~  
  
Walking together across the corridors was quite awkward. Both Yuna and Tidus carried their supplies in one hand, and occasionally their hands would touch, with Tidus having his left hand free and Yuna having her right. Tidus and Yuna would both blush immediately, and would carry their supplies with two hands. But then again, they would free their hands and would enjoy the moment of their hands brushing slightly.  
  
"Sorry," Tidus apologized, putting his hand under his binder. Taking a short glance at her, he could see from his position that her eyes were focused, although he couldn't still see what color they were.  
  
"Sorry," Yuna apologized as well, putting her own hand under her binder. Taking a look at Tidus after he looked away, she could see that he was concentrating on to reaching their destination.  
  
There was an odd silence between the two for a while. Only their footsteps would be heard, Tidus' sneakers making a slight squeaking sound, Yuna's heels making a slight tapping sound. Both Yuna and Tidus felt uncomfortable, but they both somewhat enjoyed each other's presence. Tidus especially enjoyed her presence, feeling happy that he sort of made a new friend at Besaid High.  
  
"So...I haven't asked what your name was..." Tidus spoke up, asking a question although it wasn't exactly in a question form. Yuna smiled, looking up at Tidus.  
  
"My name's Yuna," she said softly, smiling brightly towards Tidus. Her smile reminded him of the moon, so quiet and serene.  
  
"I'm Tidus. Pleasure to meet you."  
  
"Mine too, Tidus..." Yuna nodded, smiling once again. He was once again mesmerized by her beauty, and almost dropped his supplies. Balancing his posture to try and stop the supplies from falling, he felt a delicate limb supporting his binder. Turning his neck, he found Yuna reaching her arm to prevent the supplies from falling.  
  
"Uhh...thanks," Tidus said, grinning. Yuna smiled back, feeling her face grow hotter. Shaking her head, she concentrated on the blue floor of Besaid High, hoping she could hide her blush from Tidus.  
  
*~*~  
  
A few seconds later, Tidus heard another tapping sound, not made by Yuna's heels.  
  
"Hey...hear that?" he asked, stopping in his tracks. Yuna also stopped, closing her eyes to concentrate on the faint tapping sound Tidus had heard.  
  
"I can't...wait, isn't that the..." Yuna gasped, realizing what it was. Tugging on Tidus' arms, she ushered Tidus away from the hall.  
  
"Oh Tidus, we're going to get in trouble! That's the principle! And we don't have a hall pass!" Yuna cried out slightly, panicking. Tidus raised his eyebrow, remembering how many times he got in trouble with the principle for not having a hall pass. His mind screamed at him, telling him to hid somewhere. Not that he needed to know that.  
  
Tidus put his arms around her and quickly led her into what seemed to be an empty closet. Sighing of relief as he closed the locker, he turned on the light switch and grinned over to Yuna, who looked somewhat surprised.  
  
"Thank you..." she whispered, not believing that she had just slightly broken a rule of a school yet was in a small room with only Tidus. For many, many years, Yuna had obeyed the school law. Whether it be a boring lesson or a horrific one, Yuna always paid attention, and the knowledge came in handy from time to time. She was one of the goody-good shoes, earning the likes from the principle and teachers from every school. And here she was, breaking a school rule.  
  
"Hey, don't mention it. He'll never catch us here. Anyway, you were helping me go through all the halls and stuff anyway!" Tidus grinned, proceeding to open the door. As he began to turn the golden doorknob, he found that it wasn't budging even the slightest bit.  
  
He tried turning the doorknob several times, concentrating his whole strength on the doorknob. However, the doorknob remained firm as a wall.  
  
"What the---"  
  
"Is there something wrong?" Yuna asked, coming over and putting her head above Tidus' shoulder. Instantly, the jasmine aroma filled his nostrils.  
  
"The doorknob is jammed, dammit." Tidus cursed slightly, pulling and pushing on the doorknob. He was getting pretty annoyed with the doorknob, and he got frustrated even more thinking about Auron.  
  
"What are you saying? The doorknob was jammed? Stop fibbing, and detention for the whole week!" Tidus mimicked Auron, continuing to tug on the doorknob. He was surprised to hear Yuna giggling beside him.  
  
"You sound...exactly like...Sir Auron..." Yuna managed to say between her giggles. Hearing her laugh relaxed Tidus' muscles and soothe his feelings, eventually making him laugh along with her.  
  
"What do you mean, it was an accident? You're late for 35 minutes! I will not tolerate that!" Yuna imitated Auron, although it sounded nothing like him. It sounded much gentler and prettier than Auron really was.  
  
"Do you actually expect me to believe that the door was jammed?! Detention for a MONTH if you talk back!"  
  
"Both of you, sit down! Detention will start at quarter to three, sharp!"  
  
After bashing Auron for several more minutes and laughing, the two finally stopped and concentrated on how to open the door.  
  
"This thing must be rusted inside..." Tidus muttered, crouching down to take a long look at the doorknob. Yuna nodded beside him, crouching down beside him. A few strands of her hair brushed across Tidus' cheek, and he marveled how soft it felt.  
  
"Tidus...what are we going to do?" she asked, taking a glance at the doorknob and looking into Tidus' eyes. She felt like she was outside in the beaches of Besaid, looking into his cerulean eyes. The looks on them right now were full of determination, and it suited Tidus really well, in her opinion.  
  
"Hmm...beats me," he replied, looking truly puzzled. A wide grin spread across his face as he ran back to the end of the closet, facing the door. With Yuna looking at his curiously, Tidus ran right into the door, pushing it with all his might. A slight cracking sound was made, and sawdust filled the closet. With all the force, Tidus fell back, to be caught by Yuna with her delicate arms. However, with all the force and Tidus' weight, they both fell back, with Yuna landing on Tidus' chest. As they fell back, Tidus protectively put his hands around Yuna's tiny shoulders, thus avoiding any injury to her.  
  
For a few seconds, the two of them remained in their positions. Yuna enjoyed the warmth of Tidus' embrace, hearing Tidus' steady heartbeat as she pressed her ear against his chest. She felt so protected in his arms, so warm, and it felt like she was in a dream.  
  
Tidus marveled once again on how delicate Yuna felt in his arms. She was so fragile, it felt like he was holding a porcelain doll. Just as he assumed, her hair was softer than a feathery pillow. A heavenly aroma of jasmine filled his nostrils, and her warmth felt like it entered his body.  
  
Yuna first snapped out of her dream, getting up quickly from her position. Hiding her face so that Tidus wouldn't see her blushing furiously, she went to the doorknob and turned it. It turned smoothly, and before she knew it, it opened.  
  
"Tidus! The doorknob opened!" she said happily, smiling over to Tidus. Tidus smiled back, getting up from his position. Brushing away the sawdust that got onto his clothes, he picked up both Yuna's and his supplies. He easily managed to carry it with one hand, using the other to turn off the lights.  
  
"Come on, there's still 10 minutes left for science," Tidus said somewhat happily, pulling her hand. Yuna, surprised by this action, felt her face going hot again.  
  
Together, they walked slowly across the corridors, enjoying the time they had left before getting yelled by Auron.  
  
*~*~  
  
"WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?! THE DOORKNOB WAS JAMMED?! STOP FIBBING, AND DETENTION FOR THE WHOLE WEEK! BOTH OF YOU!" Auron roared, banging his katana on his desk. Both Yuna and Tidus cringed, trying to predict Auron's next move.  
  
"Sorry Sir Auron..." Yuna said quietly, looking down at the ground.  
  
Tidus nodded as well, but quickly fired up as he faced Auron.  
  
"It was an accident! We were locked in! Is that so hard to believe?" he retorted, looking angrily at Auron for the unfair treatment. To him, he didn't care if he got two months worth of detention. But not to Yuna.  
  
The whole class gasped as they heard Tidus talk back to Auron. For one, Auron was one of the most feared teachers in Besaid High. And for two, they were impressed that Tidus actually had the courage to talk back to him.  
  
"What do you mean, it was an accident?! You're late for 35 minutes! I will not tolerate that!" Auron growled, banging his katana onto the floor.  
  
"So what? It was an accident, it already happened, so believe it," Tidus replied angrily. He felt Auron's eyes boring into him as Auron glared at him ""Do you actually expect me to believe your phony story?! Detention for a MONTH if you talk back once more!"  
  
Yuna quickly grabbed Tidus' arm, tugging it slightly. He peered at her, curious at her fright.  
  
"Wha--, wait Yuna, aren't you...angry?" he asked, confused. Yuna shook her head in disapproval.  
  
"Huh, you're such an old man," Tidus mumbled under his breath, however it was heard by Auron.  
  
""Both of you, sit down! Detention will start at quarter to three, sharp!" he barked, pointing to the back of the classroom with his katana. The two looked down at the ground, padding quietly to the back of the classroom. Tidus felt uncomfortable, with all eyes staring at both Yuna and him. He heard a blonde haired girl whispering "Yunie" in pity of Yuna.  
  
"Anyway, as I was continuing until these two came barging in, tests will be 50% of your grade, your quizzes 20% of your grade, projects 10% of grade, and homework 10% of your grade. However, do not, and I repeat, do NOT take my marking system easy because every mark you get will affect your grade, got that, Tidus?" Auron asked, his voice somewhat impatient and annoyed as he saw Tidus slumped in his desk.  
  
"Yeah yeah old man. I got that," Tidus mumbled, his voice bored. Auron shook his head as he gave an exasperated sigh.  
  
'That boy will never change...' Auron thought to himself as he handed his students the textbooks. Tidus looked through the textbook with disgust as he flipped the pages.  
  
'Inertia? Gravity? Calcium Carbonate? What the hell?' Tidus' mind spinned as he flipped from page to page. From that moment, he knew that science was not going to be easy, and that it was going to be a very long year with Auron.  
  
*~*~*  
  
[Tailight]*: So chapter 2 is up! Yay!!!!! Tidus and Yuna get fluffy in this chapter, blushing and stuff. Yeah. That's cute. I had fun writing this chapter, it seemed as if time flew by, like WHOOSH! Lol, I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. Auron was pretty harsh, wasn't he? And is Yuna the mystery girl Jecht saw at the pharmacy?  
  
In Chapter 3, Wakka and Lulu will make their appearance. And Chapter 3 focuses on Tidus and Yuna's day. Maybe around Chapter 4 I'll write about Yuna and Rikku's home, because I had fun writing stuff in Al Bhed and talking about Cid and Brother. Aniki's cool xDDDDD  
  
*~*~  
  
Al Bhed Translations:  
  
Fru dra ramm lynac yhofyo?: Who the hell cares anyway? 


	3. Chapter 3: Flour Battle

Tidus almost jumped for joy when he heard the long bell of Besaid High ring. Auron's long lecture on science had not amused him much, and he was glad to get out of the stuffy classroom. He had hoped to find Yuna again, asking her why they had both subdued back with Auron, but before he knew it, she was out of the classroom.  
  
'Funny, she was here just a few seconds ago,' Tidus thought to himself as he trudged himself out of the classroom. Walking in a straight line along with the other students, he had no idea of where he was heading to, but he didn't care, since none of the classes in Besaid High sounded that exciting except for lunch and gym.  
  
The classes might've been all exciting if he had one friend in each class. He didn't care who it was. It just had to be a person who would team up with him during group projects, and a person who would just chat with him for a few seconds. But just as he expected and knew, there were far too many groups in Besaid High, none which he could fit in. Hell, he wasn't even on the Blitzball team!  
  
Just as he was feeling sorry for himself for spending the last year of high school as a loner, he saw the azure haired boy he had met in the morning. The same lackeys he had seen in the morning also surrounded the boy, as if to protect him. The victim for today was a large, muscular boy with tangerine orange hair standing up in a peculiar hairdo. Although the boy was large, he had a gentle face, and Tidus wondered why he was in trouble with Seymour.  
  
"Just because you're the guardians of my girl doesn't mean you have to follow her everywhere. Frankly, I find you very much of a nuisance. I mean, with you constantly hanging out with you, she never spends time with me. A person of that royal status must never hang out with people like you," Seymour said in a mocking tone. The lackeys behind him sneered, while the other boy had a face full of fear. He put his large hand over the raven- haired girl standing behind him, only to have his hand pushed away. The girl with crimson eyes glared at Seymour, an aura of black magic which Tidus instantly felt being emitted around him.  
  
"We are her guardians. And we do not follow her everywhere." The girl's voice was low and emotionless, reminding Tidus of Auron. With her raven black hair, crimson eyes, and alabaster skin, she looked like a deadly person to mess around with. Tidus saw that the orange-haired boy was looking just as scared as he was, and felt bad for those two. Seymour was a big jerk, in his opinion.  
  
"Oh dear. Poor little Wakka must have a girl to protect him, doesn't he?" Seymour mocked, laughing along with his group. Both Wakka and the girl turned a bright shade of red, Wakka from embarrassment and the girl from anger.  
  
"Yo, stop laughing. We're her guardians, ya?" Wakka said somewhat quietly, looking down at the ground. He had a thick Besaidian accent mixed in with his English, which Tidus thought that was pretty cool. Apparently Seymour didn't think so, for he snickered at his actions, shaking his head as he turned back to Wakka.  
  
"Well well Wakka, seems like you're more of a dunce than I expected, ya?" Seymour mocked Wakka once more, making Wakka's face beet red.  
  
"Don't mess with my accent, man," Wakka retorted, somewhat quietly, thus making it lose its angry tone. Seymour put his head back, laughing loudly at Wakka's poor retort.  
  
Tidus didn't want to see anymore of the fight. How dare Seymour mock the two who were desperately trying to protect their friend? It made Tidus' blood boil up, just like when he has his daily arguments with his father.  
  
'That jerk!'  
  
"Hey, you're the stupid one, not noticing that your girlfriend doesn't like you". Tidus walked up to Seymour, glaring at him with his cerulean eyes the best he could. He looked down at Seymour, him being a few centimeters shorter than Tidus. His eyes scared Tidus, but he hated people like Seymour, who were mockers. His father was a mocker, and probably the people Tidus hated more than anything were people who took enjoyment from mocking others.  
  
"What...did you say?" Seymour's tone instantly turned threatened, glaring at Tidus. Tidus, in his fury, ignored the horrendous glares given out from Seymour's eyes. Picking up Seymour by his collar, Tidus was about to punch him in the face. His strong arms gradually pulled back, just like when he was about to thrust a blitzball. Seymour was just a blitzball, waiting to be hit hard. As it was just about to strike Seymour's ugly face, a gentle hand stopped his arm.  
  
The same gentle hand that he had held a few minutes ago.  
  
Just as he was about to turn his head, Seymour opened his mouth once again, only to fill the air with his sneering voice.  
  
"My my Yuna, a pleasure to see you here."  
  
"Seymour..." Yuna said somewhat quietly, not loosening her grip on Tidus' shoulders, but rather grasping it harder. The two kept on staring at each other for a while, as if to have a glaring contest, Yuna with her bi- colored eyes and Seymour with his pale ones. Tidus couldn't tell which of their eyes were scarier to look, for they both looked fierce. Although he couldn't see Yuna's eyes with her dark glasses, she seemed to be emitting a very fierce aura. Seymour was plain freaky.  
  
A few seconds later, Seymour turned and waved a hand over to his lackeys, who started moving. Flashing a somewhat wicked smile at Yuna, he left along with them, parading in the corridors like kings. Yuna continued to stare at them until they were out of sight, and she let out a sigh of release as she turned her neck to smile over at Tidus, who had a puzzled expression on his face.  
  
"Sorry, Seymour's a big jerk sometimes," Yuna apologized, although there was no reason for her to apologize. Tidus nodded, still uncertain of what to label Seymour as.  
  
"Thank you, Wakka and Lulu," Yuna said gratefully, giving them a big smile. The two nodded over to her, and instantly, their facial expressions loosened from a strict face to a smile. Tidus felt his mouth curve into a smile as well. He found out that Yuna's presence was calming, and felt the boiling of his blood turn mild. The anger he felt disappeared somewhere, and he felt strangely calm.  
  
Yuna turned once again to Tidus, flashing him the same smile before letting go of his shoulder. She immediately noticed that where she had grasped on his t-shirt was lumpy, and began fretting.  
  
"Oh my, I'm so sorry Tidus! Did it hurt? Are you okay?" she began flooding him with questions, bringing the grin out to his face. Looking deeply into her eyes, Tidus was amazed that her eyes were now full of concern. Not fake concern, but real concern, as if her grasp had really hurt him.  
  
"I'm fine, Yuna, don't get so worried up!" Tidus replied, giving her a smile like the sun. He turned over to the other two, who were looking at him in a state of shock and amazement.  
  
"Oh man, you were great out there, brudda! You gotta be on our team, the Besaid Aurochs! You were da greatest, ya?" Wakka said excitedly, grinning as he walked towards Tidus. "From this point on, you're a member of da Besaid Aurochs!"  
  
"Wakka, aren't you going to ask him whether he knows how to play Blitzball?" The pale girl asked, once again in her low voice, although it was considerably friendly now. She turned over to Tidus and nodded slightly, putting her pale hand out.  
  
"Lulu. And that's Wakka."  
  
"The name's Tidus!"  
  
"Anyway, Wakka...don't be too hasty..."  
  
"Naw I'm not, Lu! Look at how he raised him arm! That's proof dat he's a true Blitz player!" Wakka replied proudly, slapping Tidus on the shoulder, causing him to stumble forward slightly. "Won't ya join our team, brudda? We seriously need good players like you. The Besaid Aurochs are gonna be the losing team again this year if ya don't join, ya? " Wakka said somewhat soberly as he walked over to Tidus.  
  
"Sure, I'll join your team, brother! And we're going to kick some other- school-Blitzball-butt!" Tidus laughed, slapping Wakka on the shoulder. The two instantly got on their groove, talking loudly about Blitzball and comments on Seymour. Yuna and Lulu just shrugged, walking together towards their next class.  
  
***  
With his newfound friends, Tidus was much more comfortable. Although Seymour was the biggest jerk, he still had great friends to count on. Not to mention the hyper Al Bhed girl he just met.  
  
"Ooh, NEW STUDENT!" Rikku squealed, running over to Tidus. She immediately put her hand out, and with her other hand she waved over to Yuna and Lulu.  
  
"I'm Rikku, nice ta meetcha! Hey Yunie! Lulu! Ooh, there's Wakka too!" So many words were scrambled into Rikku's sentence, Tidus couldn't really understand what she was saying but he just shook her hand and smiled warmly over to her.  
  
"We gotta a new teacher in English! YAY FOR NEW TEACHERS!" Rikku shouted, doing one flip on the cold floors of Besaid High. Several teachers opened their doors and yelled something over to Rikku, most of them putting a finger over their mouth. Rikku mimicked their act and giggled loudly, causing the teachers to either groan, shake their heads, or to close their doors shut. A big grin was spread across her face, obviously very pleased, and she proceeded to do a flip in front of them, which put the cheerleaders in shame, in Tidus' mind.  
  
"HEY MISTA NEW-TEACHER, WE'VE GOT A NEW STUDENT!!!" Rikku cried happily, her long blonde hair being swung wildly. The new teacher, a rough-faced man with a mechanical arm and leg, looked just as wild as Auron. Tidus wasn't so enthusiastic about having him as an English teacher.  
  
"I presume you five are in this class. Welcome to this classroom, and I'd like to add that you are seven minutes late. Seven minutes and," Nooj took a glance at his watch, "Thirty-three seconds, to be precise."  
  
"Uhh...hey Mista Nooj! Remember me?" Wakka said cheerfully, hoping to ease the mood between them.  
  
"Yes, I do, as a matter of fact, Wakka. Remember that I will not hesitate to give you detention for a month." Nooj replied smoothly, putting the book he held in his arm down onto his desk. Wakka's face turned a shade of pink as the five moved to the back of the classroom.  
  
Nooj concentrated deeply in his maroon attendance book and kept on mumbling the students' names until he finally stopped at a particular name. "Yuna...can she be...?"  
  
Nooj shook his head, his brown hair swaying slightly as he did so. Looking up from his maroon book, he proceeded to get out a long pointer from his desk.  
  
"OKAY, CLASS!" he shouted, which caught the students' attentions in no time. Judging by his rough, husky voice, and scary eyes, Nooj was defiantely a man to be afraid of.  
  
"This is English Class II, and in this class, we are going to be focusing more on Shakespeare and writing more than punctuation and writing skills. This year, I have prepared a series of plays for you to perform and reflect on." Nooj explained, pointing his pointer this way and that way.  
  
"Hey, Shakespeare sucks!" a student yelled out, only to be drowned by Nooj's roar.  
  
"YOUNG MAN, DETENTION!" Nooj roared, banging his pointer on the desk which reminded Tidus and Yuna of Auron. He pouted slightly, mumbling that Shakespeare was a great writer.  
  
Tidus slouched back in his chair, trying to predict the future. His prediction came fairly quickly as he knew that this year was going to be boring AND hectic. But when he took a glance at Yuna, who seemed to be concentrating on Nooj's lessons, Tidus felt that there might be some hope in this year.  
  
***  
  
Wakka and Tidus chatted more about Blitzball before heading over to lunch. It was great, having fourth period lunch. Tidus felt that it was a nice schedule change, having sixth period lunch for almost two years.  
  
"Brudda, the Luca Goers are the top team this year. We gotta beat 'em!" Wakka said determinately as put his books away in his very messy locker. Tidus nodded as he stuffed his books in his locker, B69. There was a slight scent of jasmine near his locker, which smelled faintly of Yuna.  
  
"Hey Wakka, you're Yuna's guardian?" asked Tidus, closing his locker. Wakka's mouth curved in a grin as he slapped his chest with his fist.  
  
"Ya, I'm one of her guardians! Cool, huh?" Wakka said proudly, walking towards the cafeteria. Tidus understood how proud he must feel, being a guardian.  
  
"Anyway, I'm protecting her because I couldn't protect my own little brother, Chappu. He died because of those filthy Al Bheds!" said Wakka bitterly, his hands forming a fist as he walked through the halls. Tidus simply nodded, not wishing to prod further into Wakka's mind. He understood Wakka's pain, for he knew the pain of not being able to protect someone.  
  
"Come on, let's get to lunch before we get in any trouble with the principle," Tidus tried to brighten up the cold feeling between the two, and Wakka's face immediately brightened with the word "lunch".  
  
"Ya, come on brudda! They're serving chocolate ice cream today!" Wakka shouted, tugging on Tidus' sleeve. Tidus, pulled by Wakka's strong hand, stumbled but managed to keep up with Wakka's mad dash for chocolate ice cream.  
  
***  
  
Rikku was busy arguing with the cafeteria lady for using Chocobo- meat for the spaghetti sauce.  
  
"HOW CAN YOU USE THE MEAT OF AN INNOCENT CHOCOBO FOR SOME SPAGHETTI SAUCE?" Rikku yelled, pounding her fist on the table. The cafeteria lady looked scared to death with the young Al Bhed girl yelling her head off. True to the eye, Rikku did look like a wild girl with her blonde hair swaying violently.  
  
"Rikku...please, lower your voice...everyone's looking at you..." Yuna desperately tried to pacify Rikku's anger with no avail. Her dark glasses kept on falling down her nose as she tugged on Rikku's arm, which was flinging everywhere. Blushing madly, she kept on tugging on Rikku's arm, trying to pull her away from the terrified cafeteria lady.  
  
"I DON'T NEED TO LOWER MY VOICE, YUNIE! THIS CAFETERIA PERSON IS A MURDERER! SHE KILLED A CHOCOBO! WHERE'S YOUR HUMANITY, LADY?"  
  
"Rikku!"  
  
"Help, someone, help!"  
  
"STOP USING CHOCOBO MEAT!!!" Rikku yelled with much anger, slamming her tray on the table. Yuna winced, the cafeteria lady cried, and the rest of the cafeteria watched, amused.  
  
"What's up with Rikku?" Tidus asked, looking curiously at Rikku, who was ranting on about how precious Chocobos were. They had just bought their lunches, which were the hot lunch for today, spaghetti. They were just about to go to their table, but instantly, Tidus' eyes focused on Rikku, who was busy arguing. He was amazed how her voice echoed throughout the cafeteria.  
  
"Oh, that's just her protecting da wildlife," Wakka told him, looking amused at Rikku, who was now jumping and making movements to prove her point.  
  
Tidus nodded, and to his surprise, he saw Yuna, who was busy trying to get Rikku not to release the worst of her wrath onto the cafeteria lady. Even though she was stuggling hard to keep Rikku from attacking the lady, she still looked beautiful to Tidus and the most of the school's population of the school's eyes.  
  
The cafeteria lady somehow managed to escape Rikku's wrath, although she looked very shaken. Yuna had managed to pull Rikku over to their table to be united with Tidus and Wakka.  
  
"Hi Tidus, Wakka!" Yuna said breathlessly, although happily. Waving to them, she was pulled back with Rikku yelling something in Al Bhed to the cafeteria lady.  
  
"Ayo'hi e Chocobo lohtihih!"  
  
Yuna laughed weakly as she tugged Rikku over to the table. Rikku's vivid green eyes immediately changed into the eyes of fury when she saw the two boys with spaghetti in front of them. She gasped and pointed at the spaghetti as if they were something horrible, and turned to Tidus and Wakka with an expression of horror on her face.  
  
"You...you..."  
  
Tidus and Wakka laughed weakly as they carried their plates over to the garbage can and threw them in the bin. Rikku looked considerably happier to see them without the spaghetti.  
  
"Are you working as an animal rights activist, Rikku?" asked Lulu, who was already sitting down at the table with a water bottle and a salad. Rikku nodded vigorously, putting her hand close to her heart.  
  
"I am Rikku, who vowed to protect the life of others!" she said proudly, grinning like a child. Lulu nodded, although she didn't seem interested much in Rikku's speech.  
  
Wakka kept on taking glances at Lulu, which he would look down whenever Lulu returned his glance.  
  
"What, Wakka?" Lulu asked, looking at him curiously. Wakka blushed, and shook his head violently as if to deny something. Tidus, Yuna, and Rikku looked at him curiously while Wakka blushed like a tomato.  
  
"Ooh..." Rikku marveled, clapping her hands. She seemed to forget about her anger with the cafeteria as she went over to Wakka and whispered something in his ear, causing him to blush even more.  
  
"T-t-that's n-not true! Rikku, come back here!" he stuttered, running after Rikku who was speeding away. Unfortunately for Wakka and fortunately for Rikku, she was the fastest one of the two.  
  
"I sometimes feel that I'm a couple of years older than them..." Lulu chuckled in her low voice, smiling. Tidus was surprised that she would smile, since she seemed so...gothic.  
  
"That's because you're too serious Lulu! Come on, lighten up! Be happy! It's called positive thinking!" Rikku said happily, coming back from her run with Wakka. Tidus couldn't see Wakka anywhere, but after a few seconds of scanning, he found Wakka on his knees, panting.  
  
"Rikku, you run too fast!" he complained, continuing to pant as he sat down next to Lulu. A devilish smile immediately sprang upon Rikku's face as she looked at Lulu and Wakka.  
  
"How sweet..." she snickered, causing Wakka to glare at her. He chucked an empty paper cup at her, which she swiftly dodged, instead hitting Tidus in the face.  
  
"Ow..." Tidus mumbled, rubbing his face. Yuna smiled next to him, shaking her head slightly.  
  
Tidus marveled how pretty she looked when she smiled. She looked so serene, and it made him forget the troubles he had right now. If only he could look at her face for a long time...  
  
***  
"Alright kiddies, we're going to learn a lot of things in Home Economics this year to prepare you all when you get married. I don't want to go through all the 'crap' with you all choosing partners so your partner for this year will be the person next to you," the Home Economics teachers, Mrs. Petrovoski, a fat lady in her mid-50's explained to the class. She looked like a rat, with very large front teeth and beady eyes. Her hot pink t-shirt and fuchsia skirt didn't match, and her huge turquoise necklace did not match with any article of her clothing. Tidus was amazed with her purple hair; he didn't know that anyone wouldn't notice how awful their fashion taste was.  
  
His heart leaped with joy when he saw that the person next to him was Yuna. So far, Yuna was in every one of his classes, from Science to Lunch. He didn't mind at all, in fact, he wished she were in every one of his classes. Yuna noticed that Tidus was in every one of her classes so far, and she too was happy. It was nice having a familiar face in her classes, especially Tidus.  
  
"I guess me and you are partners," Tidus said happily. Smiling, Yuna nodded as they walked over to their station. Each station was the same; it had a sink, oven, and refrigerator. The sink was dirty with a lot of watermarks, the refrigerator close to empty, and the oven being half burnt.  
  
"Alright class! We're going to be making cookies today, and you can make any kind of cookie you want, so don't come to me saying 'crap', kay? You have an hour so use your time wisely!" Mrs. Petrovoski yelled, then proceeded to recline in her huge sofa.  
  
Tidus and Yuna smiled at each other as they got the necessary ingredients for making the cookies. Tidus felt that it was going to be a breeze making cookies with Yuna. Perhaps more than a breeze.  
  
"So first we have to put some flour into this bowl," Tidus said, putting several cups of flour in a silver bowl. Yuna nodded, cracking and putting two eggs into the bowl. Whilst putting the flour in the bowl, Tidus coughed, thus creating a big floury smoke. Yuna and Tidus both coughed, Tidus ending up with flour on his hair and a floury face, Yuna with a little flour on her face.  
  
"Ehh, sorry," Tidus apologized, fearing that Yuna would be angry. The girls he knew usually got very angry if some part of them got dirty, but he felt relieved when he heard Yuna's crystalline laughter.  
  
"Tidus, you look so silly!" she laughed, pointing at Tidus' hair. He laughed as well, trying to brush the flour out of his hair. The flour- incident soon escalated into a flour-throwing contest, which ended up with no winner nor loser.  
  
Yuna grabbed a handful of flour from the bin and sprinkled it onto Tidus' hair, making him look like he had white hair. "Tidus, you look like an old man!" Yuna squealed happily, laughing. Tidus countered back by grabbing a handful of flour and sprinkling it on Yuna's hair. Yuna ducked at the last minute, so she didn't have all the flour on her hair, but her chestnut hair was now a mixture of tawny hair strands to snow white hair.  
  
"Now you look older, Yuna!" Tidus laughed, holding his sides. Yuna made an angry face, only to burst out laughing.  
  
The two laughed as they threw flour at each other until they were cut off by a very annoyed teacher.  
  
"I told you not to do this 'crap'! Just hurry up and make the cookies!" Mrs. Petrovoski screeched, thus giving Tidus and Yuna no choice but to make their cookies. Both of them looked like a mess, with flour in their hair and on their clothes.  
  
"I look horrible, don't I?" Yuna asked, giggling. Tidus shook his head, putting his arm on her shoulder. Her dark glasses slid down nose, revealing her exotic eyes. The right one green, the other blue. Tidus couldn't help but stare into her eyes, which transfixed him from the second he laid eyes on them. The green eye was so green, so green that it almost put the emeralds in shame. The blue eye made his own ones seem boring.  
  
"Tidus...? Tidus?"  
  
Tidus shook his head, coming back to reality. Yuna had a soft, gentle smile on her face, the smile Tidus liked the most. It seemed so gentle, so serene, and it was a smile he'd never seen on a person before. Rikku had a big smile, like a child's. Lulu had a refrained smile. Wakka had a happy smile. Seymour didn't have a smile, and if he did have one, it was an ugly one. Auron's smiles were rare, and his father's smile, Tidus preferred not to think about it.  
  
"Let's make the cookies, Yuna!" Tidus took the bowl and started whisking it with a spoon. Yuna smiled once again as proceeded onto heating the oven.  
  
***  
  
"Mmm, these cookies are good, Yuna!" Tidus exclaimed happily, munching on one. Yuna nodded as she took a bite out of one.  
  
"I know...you'll be a good dad when you grow up, Tidus," she replied, smiling. Tidus felt his eyes pop out at Yuna's remark.  
  
"W-what d-do you mean?"  
  
Yuna laughed as she tugged at Tidus' arm, heading over to gym. She felt happy, very happy in a very long time.  
  
***  
  
Sorry for such a long delay! I couldn't think of how to continue the story, which I hope is a good explanation for the long delay. Anyway, wait up for the next chapter of this story! Oh, and please review!  
  
Ayo'hi e [Chocobo] lohtihih!: You're a [Chocobo] murderer! 


	4. Chapter 4: Why?

Yuna had a hard time getting the flour out from her hair. Rikku and Lulu had lent her a helping hand, yet instead, their hands patted the flour into her hair, making the tawny strands lighter.  
  
"It looks like I have lice!" Yuna laughed, brushing the lumps of flour out from her hair. Lulu sighed as she checked her friend's hair for the last time, yet felt her mouth curve into a rare smile as she saw Yuna laugh happily with Rikku. How long has it been since Yuna laughed so loudly? It was indeed true that she would have to give her life up to save the Spiran people, and Yuna had been oddly quiet the past summer. Perhaps this new boy, Tidus, was having a good influence on her.  
  
"Hey Lulu, Yuna, wanna go to the mall today?" Rikku asked, stuffing her clothes in her locker hastily. Lulu immediately replied "No," and smiled as she saw Rikku's bright smile curve into a frown. Yuna shook her head no, stuffing her clothes into her locker, located near Rikku's.  
  
"I've got to go work," Yuna stated simply as she headed over to the mirror to check if her hair looked fine. Lulu shook her head as she sat down on a bench nearby, stretching her long, graceful arms.  
  
"You actually still work in that pharmacy? You don't receive decent wages though, Yuna."  
  
"I'm earning enough money to help support Uncle Cid's transportations. And anyway, I don't care about the wages. Seeing the happy smiles of the customers are rewarding for me," Yuna smiled, tying her hair in a ponytail. She preferred keeping her hair down, but she didn't want the other students to assume she had lice or flour in her hair.  
  
Lulu shook her head lightly as she smiled. It was always like Yuna, thinking about others before herself. She wondered to herself if she would ever be like Yuna, always wanting to please the people around her. Lulu indeed did not like people, ever since she was a little toddler. People were liars, in Lulu's mind. When she first became friends with Rikku and Yuna, she was amazed at how pure-hearted they were. Wakka...was another story.  
  
Rikku yanked Yuna and Lulu's ponytails, whining about going to the mall. "There's the Welcome-Back-To-School dance next week! We need to get ready!"  
  
Lulu snorted, entangling Rikku's fingers from her ponytail. "Dances are stupid."  
  
"No they aren't! You get to know the new people! I love dances!" Rikku said happily, continuing to pull on Lulu and Yuna's ponytail.  
  
"And I love Sesame Street," Lulu replied sarcastically, once again entangling Rikku's fingers from her ponytail. She did hate dances, although many boys had previously asked her to go to the dances with them.  
  
"Come on Lulu! You said that you had fun at a dance last year!" Rikku whined, now tugging Lulu's sleeve. Lulu irritably pulled her sleeve away from Rikku.  
  
"I don't like fun."  
  
An exasperated sigh escaped Rikku's mouth as she shook her head. "We all need fun, Lulu!"  
  
"No we don't."  
  
"Yes we do!"  
  
"No."  
  
"YES!"  
  
"No."  
  
"YES!"  
  
"Be quiet, Rikku. I can't concentrate on hating dances."  
  
"LULU!"  
  
"I'll hex my moogle on you if you don't shut up."  
  
A gasp was heard from Rikku as she immediately shut up. Lulu's Moogle was known to be very violent with others.  
  
Lulu's burgundy eyes brimmed with amusement as she looked at Rikku, who was cowering behind Yuna. "I didn't know you were such a scaredy-cat, Rikku," she smiled rather teasingly.  
  
"I can be a scaredy-cat, but I still attract the boys!" Rikku boasted, putting on her sweetest smile. Sure, she was a very attractive girl, and Rikku was fully aware that she was. Lulu was pretty, but she was too dark. Yuna was pretty, but she was too shy. A girl attractive was someone like her - bright, bouncy, and cheerful.  
  
"Boys stick to you because you're simple-minded, Rikku. Soon you're going to be pregnant three times with three different men and you're going to regret the fact that you had sex with seventeen men." Lulu smirked. Rikku's face immediately twisted into horror and fear as she clung on to Lulu, choking her.  
  
"I DON'T WANT TO BECOME PREGNANT WITH THREE DIFFERENT MEN!" she wailed, squeezing Lulu's thin waist tighter and tighter with each word that Lulu squeaked.  
  
"Fine! Fine!" she managed to squeak out, gasping for air as Rikku let her go. Lulu's normally pale face was a vivid shade of pink, and Rikku stuck her tongue out in glee as she saw this.  
  
"You know Lulu? You should get hugged by someone like Wakka more often; you look much better and pinker now!" she mused, laughing. Yuna bit her lip in order to keep herself from laughing, for Lulu didn't look like herself with a pink face and tangled hair. A small giggle escaped her mouth, but she immediately put her hands over it when Lulu glared at her with her fierce burgundy eyes.  
  
*****  
  
Yuna felt self-conscious when she saw Tidus laughing as he came out from the boys' locker room. Yuna had never been so self-conscious, but she somehow felt more self-conscious that she ever felt in her life. Was it because of Tidus?  
  
She shook her head as she pushed Tidus out of her mind. Tidus wouldn't hang around an unpopular girl like her. He's got the looks, the personality, and the award-winning smile. He'd probably join the so-called "popular group" in no time. Besides, Yuna knew that her friends would drift away as soon as they find out the "real" Yuna.  
  
Stepping out of the locker room, she stared at the huge roof of the dome that was Besaid High's gym. It was fairly new, only built five years ago. The roof of the dome was full of lights, so bright that it was like a twin to the sun. The gym was beautiful, Yuna had to admit, but she hated the gym. She hated the artificial lights, the dome shaped gym, and the music the teachers played in the gym were loud enough to pop Yuna's eardrums.  
  
Realization hit Yuna fairly quickly when the people of Spira cheered without effort that Calm was brought about. Little Yuna had expected the people to be cheering excitedly, their eyes sparkling with happiness as the relief of Calm shone above them. Yet the people around her were getting on with their daily schedules, as if nothing happened. Some even seemed bored of life. The same day the Calm was brought, twenty people committed suicide.  
  
Those people made Yuna angry, for her father, Braska, died trying to let the Spiran people get on with their daily lives. Her father died so that the people wouldn't have to fear Sin, yet some of the people were wasting their lives her father had protected. What made Yuna even angrier was the fact that her father's death was being wasted. Her father had died for his people, and that was how some of the goddamned people were acting!  
  
After Braska died, Yuna was placed in an orphanage for a short while until her father's trusted friend, Kimahri, a Ronso, was placed as her guardian. The three years Yuna lived with Kimahri was peaceful. Kimahri was strict, even stricter than her father, but his smiles were most rewarding. Whenever Yuna brought home her masterpieces of art, or her tests marked "Excellent!", Kimahri would give her one of his rare smiles. Yuna loved Kimahri, and Kimahri became a father figure to her. Though she was a half- blood, he a Ronso, there was a bond between them that went over the wall of different species.  
  
Yuna's life once shifted as Kimahri was placed as the head of his tribe. The parting between the "daughter" and the "father" was brief and quiet, yet there was much talking between the two silent figures. They didn't need words to communicate, for their bond went beyond that. Mount Gagazet was far away from Bevelle, and Yuna knew she wouldn't be able to see much of Kimahri. She still remembered Kimahri's large hand patting Yuna's brown hair, a large figure smiling above her.  
  
Bevelle was full of bad memories, but Yuna continued to live there, even after Kimahri left. Their house, with only two rooms and a kitchen, was now occupied by Yuna. Although the house was small, it seemed even smaller after Kimahri left. Memories of her father, mother, and Kimahri flooded Yuna's mind everyday. Yuna still remembered coming home from school and sitting on the old sofa, staring at her parents' pictures for several hours.  
  
Yuna had almost been expelled from Bevelle Middle School, due to her school behavior. On her report cards, the words "antisocial", "low self-esteem", "Posttraumatic Stress Disorder" filled the white sheet of paper. The students often called her a mute, a depressed child, and a half-blood. Yuna denied being a mute and a depressed child, yet she could not contradict that she was a half-blood, for she was indeed a half between a Yevon Catholic and an Al Bhed.  
  
None of the teachers and students in Bevelle Middle School had given Yuna the respect she deserved. Sure, she was a half-blood, the lowest beings in the pyramid of people, and sure, she was close to a mute. But even if she was a half-blood and a mute, wouldn't she receive at least some kind of respect?  
  
The school scarcely cared when she decided to go to Besaid High School instead of forwarding to Bevelle High School. Yuna had been really excited when she learnt that her family on her mother's side lived in Besaid. Cid, Aniki, and Rikku had warmly welcomed her in their family, and for the first time, she actually felt that she fit in. Cid and his kids were both Al Bhed, just as her mother had been. Being pure Al Bhed, they were considered slightly above the half bloods, but not by much.  
  
Aniki had helped her forge her past history so that her traces of being a half-blood were cleverly disguised. She was a new person, a full Yevon Catholic, who was an ordinary person in school. Aniki and Rikku were also considered Yevons in this school, thanks to Aniki's superb ability to hack into computers using Al Bhed Machinas.  
  
Memories and worries of death clouded Yuna's mind as she did the routine pushups for her gym class. Even if she were to go to the temple of Zanarkand alone and die alone, would anyone care? Probably not.  
  
She had some respect earned for her by her father, by those who believed in the old religion. Hundreds of years have passed since Yunalesca first fought Sin, and hundreds of years have passed since a legendary summoner was thought to have defeated Sin for good. Yet Sin came coming back ever ten years with the power of the final aeons summoned by the past summoners. Yu Yevon and Yunalesca had been defeated, yet Sin came coming back. There was no definite theory on why Sin came back, although Yuna had heard that Sin was coming back from the power he had taken from the guardians who had accompanied the summoner, as a result, killing them as well as when the summoner summoned the Final Aeon.  
  
Thus, guardians fled for their lives when appointed by a summoner. Yuna was still lucky that Lulu and Wakka were still her guardians, and she never ceased to believe in them, yet a small part of her heart told her that they would probably back down when the Time came. It pained Yuna to think like that, yet it was reality for her to embrace.  
  
Would the people respect her when she defeated Sin? She hoped so. Perhaps it was a dream, for the people to be cheering wildly in the streets when Sin was defeated. But she could dream, couldn't she?  
  
*****  
  
Wakka had gobbled up most of Tidus' cookies, calling them the most wonderful work of art.  
  
"Brudda, these are real scrumptious, ya? Who made them with ya?"  
  
"Yuna and I made them," he replied proudly, munching on his last cookie. He however stopped when Wakka gaped at his half-eaten cookie as if it were some worm cookies.  
  
"Y-yuna made them?" he stuttered. When Tidus nodded, Wakka seemed to be making a decision whether to empty the contents in his mouth, or swallow it.  
  
"Why? There's good, aren't they?" Tidus asked, looking at Wakka curiously. Wakka unenthusiastically chewed the remaining contents in his mouth, not wanting to hurt Tidus' feelings. Chappu had made horrible cookies a long time ago, and Wakka still remembered the bitter taste in his mouth as he ate one of them. Lulu had also eaten one of Chappu's cookies, and promptly threw up after eating one.  
  
But these cookies were actually good, and if he had the promise that he wouldn't be suffering from a stomach, he would actually enjoy them.  
  
"Ya know brudda, that Yuna got an F in Home Ec. last year, right?" he asked, wondering whether Tidus knew that or not. Judging by the surprised look on Tidus' face, he didn't.  
  
"She made these horrible cookies last year and we all threw up after eating of one 'em," Wakka laughed, recalling the day he had eaten one of her cookies. They looked good, yet they had the same bitter taste as Chappu's cookies, maybe even worse.  
  
"She's good at making cookies though!" Tidus insisted, brushing his hands on his pants. Wakka laughed again as he poked Tidus in the stomach.  
  
"You must be having a good effect on Yuna-girl, brudda. Hang out with her, will ya? She doesn't like people."  
  
He then twisted his face, furrowing his eyebrows in deep thought. "Actually, she loves her people, but she doesn't really communicate, ya know what I mean?"  
  
Tidus nodded, for he did sort of comprehend what Wakka meant. By watching Yuna today, he noticed that she was very shy, but she didn't seem to hate the world around her. She was a nice girl though; very different from the girls from Zanarkand. Especially the girls he had dated in the past. Wakka had informed him that once he was on the Blitzball team, he would get to the pick of his girls, ranging from cheerleaders to nerds, just like back in Zanarkand.  
  
"Hey brudda, who're ya taking to the Welcome-Back-To-School Dance?" Wakka asked, curiously looking at Tidus in a funny way.  
  
"It's still the first day of school, brother."  
  
"I know, but..." Wakka leaned over, almost whispering. "You're not taking Lulu, right?"  
  
Tidus shook his head violently, backing away from Wakka. "Why would I take her? I hardly know Lulu!"  
  
Wakka sighed of relief, putting his hand over his large chest. "I'm glad, brudda."  
  
Raising an eyebrow, Tidus asked "Why?" and had to control his laughter when Wakka blushed.  
  
"W-well, n-n-nothing, juss that..." Wakka stammered, pausing to think of an excuse to tell the smirking Tidus. "Lu's like a sista to me, ya?"  
  
Tidus nodded and smiled, although the unconvinced look was still apparent on his face. Wakka blushed and scratched his head, hoping to hide his true intention of asking Tidus that question. However, Wakka wasn't a very good liar and Tidus easily found out his intention.  
  
"You like Lulu, don't you? I mean, you ask about her, you glance at her every second, then you blush when you look at her...admit it, brother, you like her."  
  
"N-n-no! I don't! Lu's like a sista to me, I've told you that, ya?" he denied, shaking his head until his famous hairdo became lumpy.  
  
"Naw, I don't believe you," Tidus laughed, heading for the door, leaving Wakka blushing madly.  
  
"Brudda! I don't like 'er!"  
  
*****  
  
The unit they started Physical Education was on basketball, and Yuna just happened to hate basketball. It was more of Rikku's type of sport, running around and getting all sweaty. Yuna preferred activities that didn't require too much running and moving, thus basketball was not the sport for her.  
  
Nobody on her team would pass the ball to her anyway, although she ran up and down so that the teacher wouldn't catch her not participating in class. Lulu was even bolder, not bothering to run across the court. Rikku was a natural at this sport, earning most of the points her team made.  
  
"Come on Yunie, Lulu! RUN!" Rikku shouted, dribbling the ball across the court and making a neat lay-up shot. Yuna and Lulu shook their heads, scarcely paying attention to the game. Yuna caught Tidus making an incredible shot across the room, and mused the fact that he too was a natural at this sport.  
  
"Lulu...look at him; he's great at basketball..." Yuna pointed to Tidus, who was making the rounds of high-fives with his teammates. Lulu smiled slyly, nudging Yuna's shoulders.  
  
"My little Yuna seems to have a little crush on someone..."  
  
Yuna shook her head defiantly, bi-colored eyes meeting burgundy ones. "I just thought that he's great at basketball, Lulu..." she said quietly, hoping her face wasn't too pink. Yuna herself was a great actor, and hardly anyone noticed whether she was feeling sad or angry, yet she had the most problem trying to mask her blush. However, she seemed to be improving for Lulu didn't notice her blushing.  
  
"Wakka's good too," Lulu mused, looking at Wakka making a three-pointer. "Too bad he's a little chubby in the stomach."  
  
"YUNA, LULU, GET BACK IN THE GAME!" the teacher, Mrs. Panteour yelled, spraying spit all over the place. Yuna and Lulu meekly got back in the game, pretending to participate while paying little attention.  
  
"So...what's happening between you and Seymour?" Lulu asked within pants, running up and down the court. Yuna didn't answer, but pretending to pant hard, running around the court in order to avoid the question.  
  
"I'm...we're...doing fine, Lulu. Just fine." She murmured, hoping to convince Lulu out of her concern. Yet Lulu didn't seem convinced, and Yuna didn't blame her, for she wasn't convinced at her own answer.  
  
Even Yuna didn't know why she went out with Seymour in the first place. He was handsome, and he was nice, in his own way. Yuna couldn't bring herself to love him, yet she couldn't bring herself to break up with him. Was it fear? Yuna herself didn't quite know. Seymour was indeed a force to be reckoned with, and no one actually survived going against Seymour. She was really surprised when Tidus stood up against Seymour this morning. Perhaps he might have a chance to go against Seymour and plunge him off his throne.  
  
"If that slime-ball tries to even touch you, call me and I'll hex him with my Moogle," Lulu said fiercely, the stern look in her eyes rising again. Yuna couldn't help but stifle a laugh as she saw her eyes.  
  
"Oh Lulu, I'm perfectly fine! Seymour's a nice person once you get to know him!"  
  
Lulu growled, a fierce look upon her face. "He's still a slime-ball..."  
  
Yuna smiled and nodded, taking a glance over to the court across the room. There, Tidus was looking in her direction. Yuna couldn't help but blush and turn away from him, once again pretending to concentrate on the game. She'd never blush with Seymour, but somehow, Tidus made her blush in so many ways: the way he smiled at her, the way he looked at her, and the way he even talked to her. Was this friendship taking a turn?  
  
*****  
  
A/N: I had the worst case of writer's block these past few weeks, and I'm close to failing Algebra in my school --; So I'm really really sorry if I didn't update fast enough, although Chapter 5 is on the way. Thanks, and please review xDD 


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